Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez has been released on parole from California state prison after serving 11 months of a five-year sentence. His agent Mike Fonseca confirmed the release to ESPN, marking the end of a high-profile case that began with a February 2022 shooting incident.

Velasquez, 43, was sentenced in March 2025 after pleading no contest to charges stemming from chasing and shooting at the vehicle of Harry Goularte, accused of molesting Velasquez's 4-year-old son. During the 11-mile pursuit, Goularte's father was shot and injured. At sentencing, Velasquez received credit for 1,283 days already served.

The UFC offered public support throughout the legal proceedings, with CEO Dana White writing a letter to the court describing Velasquez as a "model example" of professional conduct. Velasquez won the UFC heavyweight title by knocking out Brock Lesnar in October 2010 and retired from MMA in 2019 after multiple championship appearances with American Kickboxing Academy.